Chapter 56: The Celestial Apex Meditation Technique

The alarm clock rang, and Li Nanke slowly opened his eyes. He sat up, stretched, and his joints crackled, leaving him feeling refreshed and clear-headed.

Last night's indulgence and revelry had released days’ worth of pent-up tension, as if his sanity had been fully restored. He climbed down from his bed to the first floor of the apartment, drew open the curtains of the floor-to-ceiling windows, and saw that, after a few fleeting days of sunshine, the City of Redemption had returned to its rainy season.

The morning sky was gloomy and dark, rain pattering softly outside, but brilliant neon lights continued to blaze, illuminating the horizon without end.

The loft duplex apartment he lived in was provided by the Control Bureau for single F-level personnel. With eighty square meters spread across two floors and exquisitely furnished, it was a thousand times better than his old, worn single dormitory.

The apartment also came equipped with a virtual housekeeper, offering services akin to those of a luxury hotel—cleaning, laundry, meals, security—all free for residents.

Though his status as an F-level intern put him at the bottom of the hierarchy, he was still “high above” many of the Bureau’s temporary staff.

The Control Bureau had arranged every aspect of its internal personnel’s lives. All he needed to do was work well; everything else required no concern.

Reflecting on last night, Li Nanke was surprised that Jiang Lei, a senior researcher, turned out to be a platinum member of an exclusive private club.

But it was thanks to that experience that their relationship had deepened rapidly. Jiang Lei shared with him many unwritten rules of the Control Bureau, and some insights that interns could not ordinarily access.

“This apartment is comfortable, but it always feels like living in a birdcage. Once things settle down, I’ll move out,” he thought.

After tidying up, Li Nanke left, taking the shuttle from the residential area to the Control Bureau and starting a new day of study.

Whether learning was a tedious task was a matter of perspective.

When Li Nanke immersed himself wholeheartedly, absorbing professional knowledge like a sponge, not only did he not find it dull, but he felt immensely fulfilled.

Most of the foundational courses focused on knowledge about forbidden objects, but since the world’s supernatural powers derived from these very objects, learning about them naturally led to deeper understanding.

The “Four Fundamental Matrices” granted by the Great Beyond were also closely linked to forbidden objects.

For the next few days, his life followed a simple routine: he spent his days in the study room and nights sleeping in the apartment, never returning to the club.

Li Nanke was exceedingly disciplined; if not for bonding with Jiang Lei and the occasional need for relaxation, he would never frequent places that might lead to distraction.

His single-minded focus on absorbing knowledge meant that he finished the four-day foundation dream courses ahead of schedule.

In the study room, Li Nanke removed the dream synchronizer and pulled out the last foundational course data disk.

“Phew, finally done.” He looked at the scattered disks on the desk, crossed out the final line on his course roster.

Li Nanke closed his eyes, carefully recalling the content of more than a hundred classes to ensure he hadn’t missed any knowledge points. Then he picked up his communicator and dialed Jiang Lei’s personal number.

Jiang Lei didn’t answer—perhaps he was busy with an urgent project. After several attempts, Li Nanke put down the communicator, his gaze flickering as he looked at the wall lined with data disks.

Though he had completed over a hundred dream courses marked on the roster, they were only a small fraction compared to the disks covering the wall.

He smiled, unhurried, and took down a disk not included in the foundational curriculum.

Plugging in the synchronizer, he closed his eyes and continued learning...

Behind the monitors, only Director Frank and Jiang Lei watched the young man’s every move, while other researchers were busy examining forbidden object fragments sent from A91 Safe Zone.

“Li’s attitude toward learning is impeccable—not only gifted, but so hardworking. Director, your judgment is as keen as ever,” Jiang Lei said.

Frank shot Jiang Lei a sideways glance, pulled out a data disk, and handed it over. “Give him this disk later. Have him report to the lab first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, Director. Can I ask what’s on the disk?”

“The Zenith Meditation Technique. Why, do you want to learn it too?”

Jiang Lei paused, sighing deeply. When he joined the Control Bureau, he had waited two years before receiving a tailored meditation method.

But the Zenith Meditation Technique was a universally valuable method, and Li Nanke had received it after just a few days. Comparing oneself to others is always infuriating.

Within the Control Bureau, different factions coexisted. Talents like Li Nanke, gifted with the Omniversal Matrix, were prized everywhere.

Ultimately, bringing Li Nanke into Director Frank’s team had cost the director’s family considerable effort.

So Frank was both strict with Li Nanke and generous in his treatment. Jiang Lei understood, though he couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy.

Perhaps this was the paradox of wanting your brother spared from hardship, yet also fearing he’ll drive a luxury car ahead of you.

Time slipped by unnoticed. When Li Nanke finally emerged from the sea of knowledge, he realized the workday had ended.

He had just removed the synchronizer when Jiang Lei knocked and entered the study room.

“Li, I’ve brought you something special—very unique study material,” Jiang Lei said, giving him a data disk with a mysterious air.

Li Nanke couldn’t help but give him a strange look, as if to say, “Jiang, I know you’re quite the character, but we’re still at work—let’s keep it professional.”

“Hey, what are you imagining? It’s genuinely valuable. And after one use, the content will self-destruct... Do you know about meditation techniques?”

Through his recent foundational studies, Li Nanke understood that for the extraordinary, self-improvement came not only from training and wielding supernatural powers, but also from practicing secret meditation techniques.

In his first guided dream, “The Sea of Abbess,” the martial monk had mentioned a secret method called “Spiritual Meditation,” which could enhance the power of runes. However, such techniques usually boosted specific supernatural abilities and couldn't cover all types.

The Control Bureau had its own specialized methods for various abilities, but since Li Nanke had only just joined and was an intern of low rank, he hadn’t yet accessed these resources.

Meditation techniques required long-term accumulation to be effective—much slower than the rapid gains from fighting monsters in dreams to obtain source energy. Thus, Li Nanke didn’t regard them as crucial, but was willing to take whatever he could get.

He replied sincerely, “Of course I know. Thanks, Jiang. Please thank the Director for me as well.”

“Take this disk home. You can bring the synchronizer for one night—be sure to study the meditation technique inside,” Jiang Lei advised. “Also, report to the lab tomorrow morning; you’ll officially join the Director’s research team.”

“No written test?”

“The Director has seen your effort and you’ve already passed.”

A test? Over a hundred dream courses, nearly three hundred hours, finished in three and a half days, with several courses reviewed for reinforcement—and after that, you started studying extracurricular content... You really are born to be a researcher!

Jiang Lei couldn’t help but think so.